Restaurateur Pancho’s grazed by bullets

CLOSE CALL:
A pedestrian walks past Pancho’s on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, yesterday a short distance from where the owner, Parmanand Yarna, was shot early in the morning period.
—Photo:
CURTIS CHASE

Mark Fraser

\\POPULAR restaurateur Parmanand Yarna, better known as Pancho’s, who operates what is described by patrons as an establishment with some of the best tasting “home-style” food in Port of Spain, was grazed by bullets yesterday morning.

Police said around 6 a.m., Yarna was near the corner of Queen and Abercromby streets walking towards his newest establishment located a stone’s throw away from his former restaurant when he was grazed by three bullets.

According to police, a man was shooting at another man and Yarna was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and was not the intended target.

Police said Yarna then ran to the Port of Spain CID where he met several officers who also patronise his business. The shocked officers then took him to the Port of Spain General Hospital, where after being examined he was immediately prepped for surgery.

His son, Kevin Yarna, said his father sustained injuries to his colon and pancreas “but we are really grateful that his injuries were not worse”.

Several media employees were also shocked yesterday after hearing the news about Pancho’s as his establishment, prior to being moved from Queen Street, was the place they would see each other buying Pancho’s famous cow heel soup, pelau and geera pork .

Employees of the Trinidad Guardian as well as CNC News 3, Newsday and a few staffers at the Trinidad Express were said to be in a state of shock over the incident.